Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Assembly is a soap opera

Several new 'bloggers' have started posting from the National Assembly. Why? I started because I thought it would be a bit of fun. But its more than that. We bloggers are filling a gap which is to connect with those who see life as a 'soap opera'. For them, the Assembly must be a 'soap opera' as well. Serious types will frown on this but the reality is that the National Assembly of Wales is a collection of 60 individuals - complete with their jealousies and their ambitions. Relationships develop and break apart just like characters in Pobl y Cwm. In Wales we have no sketch writers and no gossip columns. Gareth Hughes does a bit on Waterfront. But it is not enough. What we really need is Westgate back in the Western Mail and a 'bloggers corner' on BBC Online. I make mistakes on my blog and sometimes post things I wouldn't post if I left it for a few hours - but then no-one would be interested. It has to be what I thought at the time - not what I thought, doctored for public consumption after careful consideration. I have only had to apologise to one AM so far - for an over graphic comparison with a wild animal.I have been forced to write this drival because nothing noteworthy happened in the Assembly Chamber today. However, Carl Sergeant did stand up and support Mark Isherwood (a first in almost 4 years) but he soon recovered with a description that not even I'll risk as a post in a response email to me when I congratulated him on finally recognisuing Mark's true towering talent. And the Presiding Officer induced widespread, though uncertain laughter when he said everyone who wanted a new Chief Executive should have one. His Deputy thinks he should only have one if he's discussed it with everyone first. EPC Comittee in Colwyn Bay tomorrow and then I'm out in the Irish Sea in a fishing boat in the afternoon. After seeing what happened to Robin Knox Johnson, I hope the weather calms down. Weather permitting I will post again tomorrow.